The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure

novel by French author Alexandre Dumas (père) completed in 1844. It is one of the author's most popular
works, along with The Three Musketeers. Like many of his novels, it was expanded from plot outlines
suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter Auguste Maquet.[1] Another important work by Dumas, written
prior to his work with Maquet, was the short novel "Georges"; this novel is of particular interest to scholars
because Dumas reused many of the ideas and plot devices later in The Count of Monte Cristo.[2]
The story takes place in France, Italy, and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of
1815–1839: the era of the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France. It begins just
before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile). The historical setting is
a fundamental element of the book, an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice,
vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness. It centres on a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail,
acquires a fortune, and sets about exacting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. His plans
have devastating consequences for both the innocent and the guilty. The book is a story of romance,
loyalty, betrayal, vengeance, selfishness, and justice.
The book is considered a literary classic today. According to Luc Sante, "The Count of Monte Cristo has
become a fixture of Western civilization's literature, as inescapable and immediately identifiable as Mickey
Mouse, Noah's flood, and the story of Little Red Riding Hood."[3]